By: Mohamed M. Sesay
Complimenting President Bio’s Gender Empowerment drive especially with the enactment of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022, the Pujehun District Students Association (PuDSA), has just concluded two days of its maiden Female Summit in order to identify strategic means of promoting gender empowerment not just for the association, but also for the district at large.
In his brief statement at the summit, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Francis Kaikai thanked the organizers for staging such important summit. He expressed elation that female were in majority in terms of attendance of the summit. He confessed that the conference was a very brilliant move as women are the economic backbone of any nation. He said he was not given the opportunity to participate fully in the summit due to other state functions. He assured that they have to do something for women and also pledged his support for the current executive for PuDSA.
In his Key note address, the Deputy Ambassador to China Ambassador Saffa Weah also commended that the organizers of the summit for staging such educative and female centered progressive summit. He encouraged the current executive of PuDSA to be having people with experience of life in future PuDSA activities. He also encouraged all and sundry to step up in order to change the perennial narratives of the districts. He expressed his dissatisfaction about the poor attendance of the such very important female summit for the district. He disclosed that such disappointment is not just limited to student politics but also to those appointed in President Bio’s administration from the district but always paying lip service to issues relating to Pujehun. He added that even when it comes to party functions, most of those appointees could not avail themselves.
“I standing here as Deputy Ambassador did not come to me as a surprise due to my hard work in academia. I have been very serious about my education and held positions in the SLPP North America executive and paved the way for my appointment as Deputy Ambassador to China”, he said.
The Deputy Ambassador to China therefore, assured the students and pupils that they could also be ministers and Ambassadors only if they take their education very seriously. He reminded the female that President Bio had provided then safe heaven through the provisions in the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Act which now provides 30% quota in seeking elective and appointed positions in governance. He called for women to exhibit competence and performance in terms of fighting for the 30% quota. He acknowledged that women are very capable in terms of exhibiting any task given to them just as men do. He called on PuDSA to be thankful to the current executive for not staging a commission of inquiry on the previous executive whose administration was grossly characterized by massive graft and embezzlement. He also frowned at pulling down syndrome and encouraged all to be supportive to their leaders.
Education school pupils on gender issue, the Mamie Queen for Pujehun District Madam Mamawa Kaikai, commended that summit and pinned critical issues geared towards addressing the lacuna in promoting gender issues. She assured all that the newly enacted Gender Act had also provided key measures to promote gender issues across the country. She added that previously, the rights of women were shattered and battered across the country. She acknowledged that the radical inclusive initiated by the Minister of Basic Education had tremendously increased school performance within girls across the districts. He appealed to PuDSA to be reaching out to schools in order to lecture school pupils. She also admonished the pupils to take advantage of the Free Quality Education. She concluded by committing her support to PuDSA in terms of catering for any future PuDSA activities.
In a panel discussion, Haja Safiatu Tunis Kiawu edified that gender related information should be the intervention to promote women rights across the district. She said only 16 female Members of Parliament constituted the last dissolved Fifth Parliament. She acknowledged that there is an improvement in terms of promoting gender equality especially in the just concluded local councils election in Pujehun. She also acknowledged that women especially in Pujehun are still faced with enormous challenges in terms of finance and other logistical support. She therefore, called for an instantaneous change in terms of draconian institutional and policy change in order to promote gender equality. She applauded the introduction of the Free Quality Education which had increased female enrolments in schools.
She added that for far too long cultural norms have been preventing female to participate in leadership positions across the country. She anticipated immediate outcome of such engagement in order to promote women in decision making position. She called on the government to also create the enable environment and fully implement the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act.
Manaf Kemokai, also elucidated the practical aspects of the gender equality in terms of eradicating those barbaric norms that hinder gender equality. He also called for a concerted effort to stand against those norms as they are not laid down laws but perceptions and practices which have been accepted over time. He equally called on female students of PuDSA to be very sensitive to identify those barriers that hinder their leadership role in the association.
Former President of PuDSA Abdulai Jabati Kanneh, called for the amendment of the PuDSA Constitution for inclusive governance within the association especially for promoting female participation with regards the presidency of PuDSA. He also called on the women to belief in themselves in terms of taking bold step in leadership position not only for the association, but for Pujehun District as a whole. He expressed optimism that the next PuDSA AGM, the association would produce a female president.
In his closing courtesy, the current President of PuDSA Sylvester V. Kien, commended the participants and stakeholders for attending the summit and making it a memorable one. He assured that all the recommendations put forward would be implemented in order to formulate a strategic and efficacious roadmap to promote female related issues not only for PuDSA but for the district at large. He assured the female folks that the space would be created for women under his administration.